I am attempting to learn to do in Flash some things I have
typically done in Director. Needless to say, it's been a tough go.
I have been using some of the Lynda.com stuff and it's been
helpful, but I now have a problem I can't figure out. I am using a
script that Lynda.com uses in their tutorial movies. I copied it
(except using my names for things, of course) and from what I can
tell, I did it correctly, but I keep getting an error message. Here
is my action script (in it's own layer):

when you had your publish settings set at as2, you added an
flvplayback component. delete that from your library. while your
publish settings are set at as3, add an flvplayback component.
retest.

(while the two components look the same, they are not. as2
components will not work in as3. flash changes your component
library when you change your publish settings so you can't pick the
wrong component version (unless you change your publish
settings).

Based on what I saw in the Lynda.com stuff (sorry-- all I
have to go on at this point), I made a layer just to contain
scripts and called it "Actions."

I have another layer called "movies" where I have 5 sections
of frames (instead of frame numbers) labeled for each of the short
clips I want to play. I have 5 buttons to click to get to the
movies. I was just going to get this first button to work,
(intro_butjpg, which should jump to the section of frames called
"intro") and then copy and paste--and change accordingly-- for the
other 4 buttons.

Yes! That works great! I am still so new that I don't really
understand WHY it works-- that's going to take some time and
experience--and help, of course!

I have also learned that if I have a stop action in the
timeline BEFORE this script, this second script doesn't work. I
guess stop really means "stop!" But moving it to a point at the
same time as the stop action seems to be fine. Is that the best way
to do it? I basically had the playback stop right after the buttons
and all of the other graphics come on stage and just "wait" for the
user to select a button.

stop() stops your timeline from advancing, but does not stop
code from executing. however, if you used "stop" instead of
"stop()", the flash compiler may have thrown an error and refused
to execute any code.

That's odd. If I have "stop()" even one frame prior to the
script for my button, it won't execute. I don't get a message or
anything, but the playhead doesn't jump. If I move my button script
to the same frame, or a prior frame, all works fine.

I'll just keep them together for the time being, since that
works.

I've taken up more than my share of your time today and don't
want to wear out my welcome!

if the timeline does not enter a frame that has code
attached, the code will not execute. so, having stop() in a frame
the plays prior to a frame that contains code will prevent the code
from executing. having a stop() in the same frame as code, does not
stop that code from executing.

Didn't think I would be back again so soon! Now that my nav
button works, I have begun duplicating it. The only problem is,
once you paly one movie and move to another, the first movie
continues at the same time. I guess I need something to tell any
previous movie to stop, while allowing the current selection to
play.

I have tried putting the stop in a couple of places; but
can't figure out where the stop should go. I was thinking a stop
needed to be at the start of each instance, so that whatever is
playing when the new instance is selected will stop. Am I looking
at it wrong?

I have the stop()method starting each as for each button
click, :
____________
stop();
function onTeachingClick(evt:MouseEvent):void {
tl.gotoAndStop("teaching");
}
teaching_nav.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,
onTeachingClick);
__________
but no as at all on the actual component instance itself. If
I placed a stop() there, will it play anything at all?

I just placed a stop() at the beginning of one of the
instances-- it didn't do anything. My error, I 'm sure!

That's the only code I have (duplicated per each button/flv),
sending it to the labeled area on each button click. Then I just
use the component parameters to select which flv should be playing
for that particular instance of the flvplayback.

then you have different flvplayback instances and you can't
use actionscript to control them unless you reference their
instance names whenever and whereever you want to stop the play of
one instance and start the play of another.

if you're using the flvplayback on your main timeline, from
your library drag an flvplayback symbol to the first frame of your
main timeline. give it an instance name. add a frame at the end of
your main timeline so your flvplayback instance exists in all frame
of your main timeline.

now, you can use its _visible property in any frames where
you don't want it to be visible and you can use its start() and
stop() methods to start and stop playback and you can use its
contentPath property to specify the flv to play.

Hi Buntu, Thanks for the input. The frames appear to be
correctly labeled. As to running the trace statement, as kglad has
discovered, I am in WAY over my head, without the proper foundation
(which is coming, I hope, by way of a class in a few weeks) and so,
I would need to know "exactly" where to place that script to make
it work. Being a newb is a real drag...